Update on Canada’s Next Generation Open Data Portal

You may have heard or read recently that Canada has announced new/enhanced efforts in their position on Open government. This came in the form of a newly revised position and policy on OpenGov (see details) and an enhanced open government portal. The Open Data Portal is a one-stop shop for federal government data that can be downloaded free of charge by citizens, researchers, voluntary organizations, and the private sector.

About the Resource – Data.gc.ca contains datasets compiled by over 20 departments and agencies, covering a broad range of topics, from housing, to health and environmental data. Some of the most popular datasets include: data on immigration issues, city weather, wait times at border crossings, aircraft registration, and information about soldiers in the First World War. The Portal is a work in progress and more datasets will be accessible through the Portal as they become available.

The next generation data.gc.ca portal, launched on June 18, 2013, includes new interactive and search capabilities and Web 2.0 features, including a Developers Corner, where Open Data developers can access specific technical information to assist them in creating user-friendly applications. A key feature of the next generation data.gc.ca site will be the new Open Government Licence, which will offer unrestricted commercial and non-commercial re-use of Government information and data. The new licence is also being adopted by Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, making it easier for users to combine data from different levels government to create richer, more contextualized information and applications – Source